A Future For Us
by sniperpal
Summary: A royal heir. Her loyal guardsman. These two hide a beautiful and dangerous secret from the world, but when everything seems to start falling apart for them, the young lovers face a difficult future even as they find solace with each other. No matter the struggle, however, they're determined to prove love conquers all. (An AU fanfic starring Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat)
1. A Future For Us: Part 1

_Nine years ago, Sonic '06 came out. It was garbage, and everyone hated it. But it gave us Silvaze, so there's one diamond in the rough at least. (The music wasn't half bad either.)_

 _I'm a fan of Silvaze as well as Shadouge, and after the success of my story_ _By Your Side_ _, I know I can write good pairing fics. This one took far less time than I thought it would; that's inspiration for you, I guess, although deadlines help too._

 _By the way, to avoid confusion, true monarchies have lasted into the 21_ _st_ _century in this AU fic. There are no anachronisms; this is set in modern times, just with legit royalty and everything._

 _This chapter contains T-rated content only, but the next chapter will be a very lemony M. Obligatory future rating warning aside, I hope you guys enjoy reading this, because I enjoyed writing it a lot. It's the longest couple of chapters I've written so far, but it was worth every page._

 _Enjoy!_

A Future for Us: Part 1

Silver paced around the living room in a repeated pattern- five steps across the front and back of the large rug that spanned the rom, eight steps across the sides. He had been treading that same path across the room for almost twenty minutes now. Every so often, he glanced at the large digital clock on the wooden stand next to the sofa. 9:32 P.M., it read now.

 _9:32- she said she'd be here at 9:15,_ the white-furred hedgehog thought worriedly. _Either she's been held up big-time, or she's… not coming. Oh hell, what if she's not coming?_

That thought sent a spike of panic through Silver; he had not seen Blaze outside of court for three weeks now, his phone devoid of any messages from her, and he was becoming more and more certain that something was terribly wrong. If she was deliberately leaving him hanging as a subtle hint that she wanted to end things between them…

 _Calm down, idiot,_ Silver berated himself. _A few minutes late doesn't mean anything. She's been late sometimes- and she's had to call more than one night off before. This isn't abnormal at all._

… _Except she promised that wouldn't happen from now on- she's only decided on nights when she's certain there's nothing else she needs to attend to. And after three weeks of silence, if this is happening now…_

 _Is she really giving up on… us?_

* * *

Silver had learned long ago, when he and Blaze had first started "dating", for lack of a better word, to never be surprised if she wound up having to deal with some other business instead of meeting with him in the evening. Not only was she the daughter of King Beric, she was his oldest child, and therefore the heir to the entire kingdom of Solaria, her claim greater than even her younger brother Karl's. Almost every single day saw Blaze engrossed in one meeting or another, dealing with local politicians or foreign leaders or, worst of all, _suitors_.

Those were the meetings that made Silver grit his teeth in annoyance, although he kept his anger to himself. What he and Blaze had started together needed to remain a secret, and while he knew Blaze would always find a way to politely turn down every man that sought her hand in marriage, it was difficult for Silver to stand on the outskirts of the room and watch high-born, pampered dolts with political agendas and not a shred of affection for Blaze shower her with transparent praise and expensive gifts, expecting her to fall head over heels for them.

It made Silver want to punch the suitors as hard as he could; sometimes, he almost wished one of them would try to get a little too personal with Blaze while dancing with her at a ball, and then he would be free to deal with them without repercussions.

The hedgehog was a captain in the Royal Guardsmen, the youngest in over a decade. His meteoric rise through the ranks had stemmed from his bright intellect and incredibly powerful psychokinetic powers, a rare but not unheard-of skill in the kingdom. It was this position and reputation that had landed Silver with the job of commanding Princess Blaze's personal guard a year ago- a task, he had soon discovered, that was rather unforgiving.

Blaze was free-spirited and willful, and she had been prone to finding ways to evade her guards and travel through the kingdom on her own doing who-knew-what, usually with the help of her loyal chauffeur, Garron. It had given Silver fits; not only would he be in massive trouble if the king ever discovered his daughter was roaming the countryside without permission, but the open road wasn't entirely safe from gangs yet, despite the royal army's crackdowns over the last few years. Silver and his squad had been forced to sneak out of the capital themselves more than once to find the princess and bring her back before anyone else in the palace discovered her absence- or before Blaze ended up captured by powerful gangs only too eager for a hostage as important as a royal family member.

Silver often thanked the gods that the royal family didn't see much of each other, each of them having their own schedules and business to attend to. He would never have been able to contain the dilemmas forever if Blaze had not been so adept at keeping her absences unnoticed.

The quarrels he and Blaze had gotten into during Silver's first few months as her guard had been terrifying, wall-shaking shouting matches, but the hedgehog had eventually convinced her that he only had her best interests at heart. They had worked together, albeit grudgingly at first, to convince her father that Blaze should be officially allowed to travel the countryside and meet with the citizenry, hearing their requests and opinions and monitoring the state of the kingdom for herself. Beric had finally agreed, with stern orders for Silver to ensure her safety at all times.

The consensus had taken a mountain of weight off of Silver's shoulders; he and the other guards accompanied Blaze on sanctioned trips instead of being abandoned and chasing after the princess in secret, and in return, Blaze was allowed to freely travel pretty much whenever she wished. It was a mutually beneficial solution, and it had birthed a strong friendship between Silver and Blaze. Furthermore, Silver witnessed firsthand the love and respect the citizens of Solaria had for their princess and future queen during the trips; how she strove to relate to the people and walk among them as an equal instead of a superior. The realization that Blaze was going to be the perfect ruler had earned her Silver's undying loyalty.

And eventually, his love.

Silver had kept his feelings for Blaze secret for a long time following his assignment to her guard, his conflicted emotions troubling the hedgehog to no end. He was her bodyguard and confidant, but anything more was inconceivable due to his low birth and status as a soldier. He knew his place in the world, and to even think of approaching the princess with romantic intentions was absolutely preposterous. Silver had known that all too well.

And yet, every time he saw Blaze smile, her golden eyes lighting up and her soft laugh echoing in his ears, Silver knew in his heart that the one thing he wanted most in the world was to keep seeing that smile- and he wanted to be the reason for that smile if he could be.

And so one day, several months ago, Silver had done the unthinkable and knocked on Blaze's ornate bedroom door one night during his watch. Blaze had been surprised by Silver's abnormal deviation from his vigil outside her door, but she had allowed him into her room and let the hedgehog sit down in a chair next to a big desk that had mountains of paper piled onto it- practice for the dull task of signing tons of royal paperwork each day, Blaze had explained to him the first time he laid eyes on it.

Silver had faced the princess, who seated herself down on her massive four-poster bed, and for ten straight minutes he had poured his heart out to Blaze, barely pausing for one moment to breathe. Confessions of the private thoughts he harbored for the cat, the effect her piercing golden gaze had on him, his utter devotion to seeing her become the greatest queen ever; all of it came out of Silver that night in a confused torrent until he found himself sitting there, struggling to catch his breath as Blaze stared at him with wide eyes, as still as a statue.

They had sat in silence for a long while, and Blaze eventually put her head in her hands and quietly asked Silver to leave her in peace so she could think. The hedgehog had known better than to persist; he had slowly risen and left the room, taking his usual place by the door once more and leaning against the wall in despair. He was certain that he had destroyed the friendship he had with Blaze as well as his reputation and position in the Royal Guard.

However, he was left in confusion the next day when Blaze did not leave her chambers at all, instead requesting her meals be brought to her, claiming that she was feeling overly fatigued. The other guards asked Silver if anything had seemed wrong with the princess the night before, but Silver had honestly answered that he couldn't think of anything; Blaze may have been surprised by his actions, but she was not one to be paralyzed with indecision or confusion, even by a shocker of a confession like Silver's.

If she had wanted Silver punished for transgressing the boundaries of his station, the hedgehog would have already been summoned before King Beric and publicly stripped of his rank and discharged from the Royal Guard. Instead, Silver found himself waiting anxiously for the entire day as he imagined one terrible outcome after another befalling him.

The next day had revealed what lay in store for Silver, however, when he nervously answered a summons from Blaze only to find himself being dragged into her room with surprising strength and wrapped in the cat's arms as she pressed her lips against his.

Time had frozen as she kissed him, it seemed, and Silver had freaked out and nearly pushed Blaze away with his powers in a panic. Before he could react in any way, however, Blaze had grabbed his face in her hands and fixed her golden eyes on his bright blue ones, forcing the hedgehog to meet her gaze. And she had whispered five quiet words that would change his life forever.

"Took you long enough, guardsman."

* * *

As it turned out, Blaze had simply needed a day to process the fact that Silver had a huge crush on her; a feeling, Silver learned, she greatly reciprocated. The revelation that Blaze felt the same way about him, and had been testing his resolve by slipping out of the capital on her secret trips and forcing Silver to go to great lengths to see her back to safety, was something that the hedgehog still had trouble believing long after discovering the truth.

But now things changed between the two of them. Silver started spending most of his time on guard duty simply talking with Blaze, and the goings-on in the kingdom, Blaze's hopes and plans for her future rule, the likes and dislikes they each had about life at court, and other such topics carried their discussions late into the night until the candles Blaze lit with her pyrokinetic abilities had burnt their wicks nearly to ash. Just sitting across a table from the beautiful cat, watching the candle light dance in her gold eyes as she spoke to him as an equal and not a simple guard, brought Silver great joy every day.

Silver did not pursue a relationship with the princess any further at first; that she reciprocated his feelings at all seemed like an impossible fact that he didn't want to jeopardize in any way. The kiss they shared the night Blaze revealed the truth of her own feelings to him had been the only one for some time, until one night when the cat finally asked Silver if he had enjoyed kissing her. Silver, a bit tipsy on the wine they were sharing, had blurted out that he needed another try to find out for sure. The hedgehog had been horrified by his own words an instant later and sputtered out an apology, but Blaze had merely giggled softly before leaning across the table and capturing his lips with her own.

After that, their nightly talks often as not took place in Blaze's bed, with the cat snuggled firmly against Silver's chest, wrapped in his arms as a roaring fire in the large hearth warmed them both. They still spoke for hours on end, but sometimes, when silence descended between them, they shared another furtive kiss. Neither Silver nor Blaze ever voiced either discomfort with the situation or a wish to delve into romantic and erotic intimacy, but Silver knew the thoughts were there at the back of both their minds.

It wasn't until the night they both fell asleep, lulled into slumber by the fire's warmth and each other's comforting presence, that Silver forced himself to face the fact that they had been taking too many risks in the past few months. His fellow guards had come around to check on the princess when Silver failed to return to his barracks, and only quick thinking on Blaze's part had diverted suspicion. The princess had claimed to have challenged Silver to a drinking contest and won, and Silver acted hung-over enough for the story to be considered legitimate. It earned him much derision and discipline from the other guards, as well as some extra duties for a month, but the incident passed without anyone the wiser.

However, it convinced Silver that what he was doing was too dangerous for them both, and the hedgehog had tried to explain to Blaze that they couldn't risk another such incident and had to stop staying up late together. But that hadn't deterred the strong-spirited Blaze at all; instead of agreeing to take things much more slowly, she had instead, a short while after they began spending more time together, taken the initiative and found an unused apartment in the capital. A discrete and ordinary looking place currently between owners, it was a small, three-room space with a decent-sized kitchen, a comfortable living room with a permanent TV and a big couch, and a bedroom with a bed only half the size of Blaze's enormous king-sized four-poster at the palace- but still big enough for the two of them.

A few pulled strings later, and Silver found himself leaving his barracks on "inspections" every few nights, making his way through the streetlight-illuminated walkways of the capital and arriving at the apartment whenever Blaze sent him a text to say that she was free that night. Since the hedgehog was only on actual guard duty three days a week due to his position as commander, Silver was free to travel as he pleased on his days off after drills were over, but he still used the excuse to divert suspicion.

To be honest, he had panicked again the first night that she had asked, or rather, demanded that he meet her there. Silver had not known what to expect, but he had feared- yes, _feared_ \- that the princess wanted to take another step forward in their relationship. He was not prepared for that, and it would only further escalate the risk of them being together. The hedgehog loved Blaze, and that would not change, but he did not entertain the faintest notion that a sexual relationship between them would bring anything but trouble.

His fears were baseless, however; Blaze was perfectly content with simply continuing their normal routine of staying up and enjoying each other's company long into the night. The two of them would snuggle together on the big couch in the apartment's living room and watch programs on the widescreen TV until they drifted off, their tardiness in returning to the palace always unnoticed due to Blaze's caution and carefully constructed excuses. The neighbors near the apartment all thought that a very private couple was temporarily renting out the apartment and should not be disturbed, convinced of such by the landlord- and the landlord was one of the two people in the world Blaze had trusted with their secret, the other being the ever-faithful Garron.

The nature of their time together changed after they started meeting in the apartment; there, Silver was not a Royal Guard and Blaze was not a future queen, and they didn't have to maintain the distant, professional manners that were expected to display towards each other at court. They were just a couple of 22 year-old kids enjoying each other's company. They didn't eat fancy meals off of expensive dinnerware or stroll through massive royal gardens like a pair of courting nobles; instead, they ate greasy pizza from a local restaurant and joked around with their powers, Silver whipping fruit through the air and Blaze catching them on fire with bursts of flame from her hands.

One time, they accidentally ignited a patch of the rug when Silver had dropped a flaming fruit while laughing, and he had reacted without thinking and pulled a huge surge of water from the sink pipe in the kitchen with a psychokinetic burst- far more than was needed to extinguish the flame. The resulting deluge left him, Blaze, and half the living room looking like a fire hydrant had erupted in the middle of the apartment, but when the hedgehog turned in absolute humiliation to apologize to Blaze, the cat was laughing hysterically, tears forming in her eyes out of amusement- and after a moment, Silver had joined in.

Sometimes, they would both be too exhausted from their busy lives to engage in such antics when Blaze found time for them to spend together. Those were the nights that the two of them spent in each other's arms in the big bed at the back of the apartment, and Silver enjoyed the feel of her warm body and silky fur against him, despite all of his previous misgivings. When Blaze turned around one night next to him and brought their faces together for a kiss without warning, Silver had responded reflexively by passionately kissing her back, surprising himself and making Blaze smile and hug herself tightly against him so they could continue.

That had been maybe two months ago, and now most of their private visits together involved a make-out session or two. They still chatted and watched TV and horsed around like always, but Silver wasn't a fool; something new was growing between them, something stronger than just two young people nurturing feelings for one another. He had not spoken blatantly of it, and neither had Blaze, but the tension had slowly built as they continued to meet in secret.

And then, just five weeks past, Silver found himself in the big bed again, only this time with a mess of clothes strewn on the floor, the soft breathing of a soundly sleeping Blaze rising and falling in his ear, and the scent of lovemaking still permeating the air.

The inevitable had finally occurred.

* * *

Silver continued to pace around the apartment, concerns about Blaze's distant silence eating away at him as the TV blared in the living room. He had turned the volume up high as usual, and closed the shutters of all the windows as well. Blaze was just as careful with their private life as he was, and she always had Silver make sure no passerby or paparazzi could discern who was inside before she entered the apartment.

However, it left Silver cut off from the outside, waiting for the knock on the door that would signal Blaze's arrival- or the text message or phone call that would announce that she couldn't make it tonight- and so the hedgehog was trapped in the apartment with nothing but his worries to occupy him. He had no idea if Blaze really was starting to have second thoughts about what they had started, and he certainly didn't know what it meant for their future.

The incident five weeks ago had been a spontaneous, passionate act, neither him nor Blaze rational or willing enough to stop themselves. Another long period of kissing on the couch had become more and more heated, the two of them smothering each other in love before the pair found themselves off the couch and on the floor somehow, Blaze straddling Silver's waist and her blouse halfway off her left shoulder.

They had both frozen then, neither of them certain whether to back off or continue down the path they suddenly found themselves on. All the tension that had hovered in the background of their relationship surged to the forefront all at once, and Silver had no idea how to handle it. In the end, like always, Blaze had made the first and smartest move- she leaned down and cupped his cheek, piercing him with that golden gaze that always entranced Silver, and she had simply asked, "Do you want to go further?"

Silver should have said no; he should have gently taken hold of the cat and moved her off of him, insisting that they wait until they could more clearly ascertain a safe future for themselves. But those golden eyes… they had not been full of fear or trepidation, but rather sympathy and love. She was once again waiting for _him_ to be ready to carry their relationship onwards, waiting with patience for _him_ to get over his nervousness and take the next step.

It was one of the things Silver loved most about her- the fact that she was so devoted to her kingdom and to him, placing the well-being of others above her own all the time- and the renewed proof of that caring nature that had made him fall for Blaze ignited something within the hedgehog that he had not felt before. Whatever it was, it had swept away his fear of an escalated relationship and made him challenge everything he once believed, as Silver had pushed himself off the floor and fiercely kissed Blaze, the princess responding with equal vigor.

Things had occurred quickly after that, the two of them hastily working to get Silver's slacks and Blaze's jeans off as their love and lust for one another overrode any common sense that had held them back before. Blaze had not even bothered with their shirts; she had kissed Silver in a sweet and lengthy embrace as she grabbed hold of his now-erect manhood and guided herself down onto it.

Before that evening, Silver had never lain with a woman, and that first time with Blaze had been clumsy, painful, and so much _less_ than what the princess deserved. They had ended up lying on the floor next to each other, breathing hard as Silver apologized again and again in the afterglow. Eventually, Blaze shut him up with another kiss and pulled the hedgehog to his feet, helping him out of the rest of his clothes and bringing him into the bedroom so they could try again.

Blaze had been a virgin as well before that- the drops of blood on the living room's carpet was evidence enough- but she had clearly discussed bedroom behavior with her friends at court before, as she had taken time during their second, less frenzied romp in the bedroom to tenderly show Silver exactly what to do. _That_ time had been much more pleasurable for them both, and Silver had felt a sense of manly satisfaction as he held the shuddering body of his new lover in his arms that night.

But that satisfaction had soon been overwhelmed by the frightful knowledge that he had just taken the virginity of the princess and heir of Solaria- and if that fact was discovered, the destruction of his career would be the least of Silver's worries. Even if they did live in the 21st century, the loosening standards of the common people did not mean the expectations of royalty had eased up as well. Silver could very well end up in exile, if King Beric's temper did not result in the hedgehog "disappearing."

Despite this frightening possibility, however, Silver did not give in to his concerns and stop seeing Blaze. He had already slept with her, after all; that was a fact that could not be undone, and if it was discovered, so be it. After thinking things through the day after their consummation as lovers, the hedgehog had realized that such an incident had been bound to occur sooner or later. He loved Blaze too much, and she loved him just as strongly, if not more so. Denying their true feelings for each other had just been a useless lie, and Silver found himself relieved that they were being completely truthful with themselves and each other now.

And so, Silver had continued meeting Blaze at the apartment after their first tryst, the two of them closer than ever before. They slept together again during several of those visits, and since Silver was still learning more about being a better lover for the princess, he always let Blaze set the pace in the bedroom, the hedgehog still too unsure of himself to take the lead. Although he wasn't sure if was doing that good of a job in bed, he was too embarrassed to openly broach the subject, and so he let it lie. Silver let go of his concerns for the future and simply focused on the happiness he brought into Blaze's life, and for two weeks, the hedgehog thought things couldn't be going better for them.

But suddenly, and without a hint of trouble beforehand, Blaze had inexplicably stopped setting up nights for them to meet at the apartment. At first, Silver had simply attributed it to her busy schedule- she had been working much harder than usual lately, stuck in meetings with fellow nobility constantly and dealing with loads of paperwork, with Silver looking on during his time on guard duty and helping her out whenever he could.

When the silence stretched on for days and then weeks, however, Silver knew something had to be wrong. What was worse, he couldn't even ask Blaze what was going on- they never dared to speak of their personal lives together while still at the court, and with their dates at the apartment suddenly grinding to a halt, Silver couldn't meet with her in private and ask Blaze there either. He couldn't imagine how Blaze could have gone full-circle from enjoying their status as lovers to considering it worth breaking up over, but he had no idea what else could be the cause of the change.

Silver spent those weeks watching distantly from his post as a guard as Blaze went about her business at court, his mind a storm of confusion and anguish. He had been ready to accept that their relationship might really be coming to an end when finally, blessedly, she had sent one quick text to him earlier that afternoon.

 _I'm sorry for the wait. The usual place, 9:15 tonight. You better be there, guardsman._

* * *

For the tenth time that night, Silver picked his phone back up from the table, reading over the message once again- as if he didn't already have every word memorized.

 _The usual place._ The code they used for the apartment in their texts, the only assured way to communicate without being caught and having their secret discovered. It said 9:15, and here he was, and Blaze was still missing and silent again. Why she would tell him to finally meet with her and then not show up was beyond Silver's comprehension- she was _not_ cruel enough to do that- so he forced himself to stop pacing around and sat down on the couch, determined to wait all night if he had to, certain that she was just late.

The clock read 9:40 as Silver waited restlessly, worrying and wondering, and then his phone started blaring out its ring tone on the table. The hedgehog was up in a flash and across the room, snapping the phone open and quickly reading the number on the screen.

It was her.

Heart thumping in his chest, Silver answered the call and brought the phone up to his ear. "Hello?" he asked quietly, praying that this was for real. "Blaze?"

"Hey," came the reply, her soft voice sounding somewhat tired but still upbeat. Just hearing her made Silver's chest feel light as a feather. "Sorry I'm late. I misjudged how long some of those nobles from Demerca can talk for."

Silver's face lit up with a big smile. "It's fine," he said. "I wasn't waiting that long- and trust me, I know how long-winded those guys can be. Even their _guards_ are the same way. Did you just leave the palace?"

"Yeah, Garron's going to swing by the restaurant quickly before he brings me over. Hawaiian as usual?"

She already knew the answer, but she still always asked, just to mess with him. "No, a buffalo chicken calzone," Silver replied, playful sarcasm in his voice. "Thought I'd try mixing things up for once."

He could hear her chuckle on the other end of the line. Blaze knew how much he hated spicy food. "Shush, you," she ordered. "We won't be long; just hold on a few minutes."

"Want me to get a couple of drinks ready in the meantime?" Silver asked her. "We've still got a bottle of good Pinot Noir here."

"Not tonight, Silver," the cat answered wearily. "Maybe just some liqueur coffee with some cognac in it, if possible."

"As you command, Your Highness," Silver answered, getting one more laugh out of Blaze before she hung up. Silver hung up his own phone and stared at it, leaning back against the wall with a wide smile still on his face. No matter what might have been going on these past few weeks, just getting to truly talk to her again after what felt like ages made all his concerns fly away like dust in the wind.

Suddenly realizing that he was just standing there, grinning like a fool, Silver shook himself and quickly looked around, making sure the apartment was spick and span as usual- he always cleaned the place before Blaze got there. Seeing no messes anywhere, he went to prepare some drinks for them both when he paused, catching his own reflection in the big mirror embedded in the wall of the hallway that led back into the bedroom.

Staring back at him was a short but well-built hedgehog in the standard outfit of the Royal Guards, a three-piece suit with grey and blue threading and gold buttons, the royal emblem of Solaria stitched over the breast pocket. The suit's blazer hung on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, though, as Silver preferred to relax in his grey button-up, buttons all undone to let the shirt hang open, and a white t-shirt beneath. His slacks were immaculate and wrinkle-free like always, secured with a black leather belt, and he'd thrown on a fresh pair of tall white socks before leaving the barracks that night. He still wore his gloves as well, the circular blue insignia on them mirroring the tattoos on his hands that were the channel for his psychokinetic powers. Silver always felt naked without them on, a habit he was trying to shake with Blaze's encouragement.

The hedgehog had cleaned up with a shower when he'd arrived at the apartment, and his white fur was smoothed down and clear of any mats, his quills perked up in the splayed fashion he always kept them in. His wiry musculature was outlined underneath the sleeves of his shirt; while he did rely on his psychokinetic powers for most things, Silver still met the basic physical expectations of the guardsmen, mostly to set an example for fresher members.

Also, Blaze liked his muscles, so that was that.

Silver ran a hand over his quills, subconsciously deciding that he looked fine- not that Blaze really cared that much about his appearance. His looks were only a small part of what she liked about him, she often said. Still, the hedgehog thought it appropriate that he look his best for the best woman on the planet.

He walked away from the mirror and into the kitchen, pulling a bag of coffee grain and some cream and sugar out of a cabinet above the sink. The grain and some water went into a small coffee machine, blending together for a few minutes as Silver checked another cabinet, quickly finding what he was looking for- a pint of Martell cognac. Pulling the bottle out, he returned to the coffee machine and pulled the now-filled pot out from under it, also grabbing a couple of mugs. In a minute, he'd whipped up two steaming mugs of cognac-laced coffee, cream and sugar swirling around within.

His phone buzzed again, and Silver checked it to see one more text from Blaze- the usual request for him to check outside the apartment and make sure the street was clear enough for Blaze to slip inside unnoticed.

The hedgehog set the mugs of coffee down on the kitchen table and walked over to the door, opening it and sticking his head out to check up and down the long sidewalk that the apartment exited out onto. Seeing no one walking along the street, Silver texted back to Blaze, _You're all clear._

Just like that, a car swung around the corner at the top of the street- a Mercedes, one of the four unmarked cars Garron rotated between to drive Blaze around in. It was one more step they had taken to protect their secret, but Silver knew all the vehicles by memory now. The car quickly pulled up to the curb, its rumbling engine shutting down and the driver's door swinging open.

Out stepped Garron- tall, lean, and imposing, with sharp grey eyes, the man stood a head above Silver and was one of the few people that actually made him uneasy. At least, he had at the start of Silver and Blaze's relationship, when the hedgehog had been unsure of what the chauffeur thought of them being together. Garron had served the royal family since before he was Silver's age- and that had been nearly thirty years ago. That such a devoted and old-fashioned servant of the royalty would willingly support a secret relationship between the princess and one of her guards had greatly surprised Silver, but Garron had spoken privately with the hedgehog some time ago and admitted that he saw Silver as a suitable match for Blaze even with the barriers of position and birth between them, due to how happy the cat was when she was with Silver.

The chauffeur dipped his head in greeting to Silver as he exited the vehicle, not saying a word- the man was more taciturn than anyone else Silver knew. The hedgehog nodded in turn and stepped out onto the sidewalk as Garron turned and pulled open the back door of the car. Silver could not help but start grinning again as Blaze stepped out, and her eyes lit up as well upon seeing him there.

The cat was dressed in her usual, casual attire that made her so popular with the public- and either envied or disdained by other royalty. Firm blue jeans, custom-cut to let her tufted tail swing freely as she walked, met her purple platform shoes at the heel, and a short pink zip-up sweater covered her arms with long sleeves but left her midriff somewhat exposed. Her long hair, streaked with different shades of purple, was tied back and up in its usual raven-wing style with a red hair tie, leaving the red jewel she wore on her forehead exposed. The amethyst bracelet that was her lucky charm and Silver's gift to her for her 21st birthday was on her right wrist as always.

Smiling, Blaze walked up to Silver and wrapped him in a quick hug, murmuring "Hey there" as she did, and they stood there for a moment just relishing the feeling of being back in each other's arms, her purple locks tickling Silver's nose as he inhaled the comforting fragrance of her cherry-scented hairspray. After a second, though, Garron cleared his throat behind them- a signal that they needed to get inside before some random passerby appeared- and Blaze slowly extricated herself with a small smile, planting a kiss on Silver's cheek and saying, "Head in, I'll grab the pizza real quick."

"No, no, I have it," Silver said quickly. "Get inside, get comfortable."

She smiled in exasperation but didn't argue, turning instead to Garron and saying, "Good night. I'll call tomorrow when I'm ready to return."

"Of course, Your Highness," Garron replied, bowing a little. "Good night." Silver stepped back and pushed the apartment door open, letting Blaze slip by him and inside. The hedgehog turned back to Garron, who had just reached inside the car and pulled out two boxes of pizza from which the hedgehog could smell the scent of pineapple wafting through the air. "Tonight's dinner, Captain," the chauffeur said, handing the pizza over.

"Thank you, Garron," Silver said, taking the boxes from him. "Have a safe drive back tonight, alright?"

The chauffeur nodded, turning without another word and getting back into the Mercedes, which rumbled back to life and slowly peeled away from the curb, its red tail lights disappearing around the corner of the street.

Silver walked back into the apartment, balancing the pizzas and depositing them on the kitchen counter as he kicked the door shut behind him with his foot. Blaze was already seated at the table, one of the mugs of coffee in her hands. She'd kicked her shoes off and left them by the door next to Silver's black and white boots, leaving her feet clad in bright blue socks. A flickering orange light danced along the edge of the cup- she was warming the drink up a little more with a spark of flame from her hands. After the temperature was to her liking, she took a long sip from the heated mug, eyes closed in ecstasy as she downed the drink and let out a contented sigh.

"Have I ever told you," Blaze said, wiping her lips with a napkin as Silver pulled out a chair and sat down next to her, "that you make the best coffee I've ever tasted? Nothing at court ever compares. I don't know how you do it."

"It's all in the stirring," Silver said with a playful grin, picking up his own cup and swallowing some of the beverage. "If the coffee's not stirred _just_ the right way for _just_ the right amount of time, then it's a rotten drink instead of a work of art."

"Well, thank god I have you, then," Blaze joked in between sips, "or I'd be consuming rotten drinks every day." She drained the last dregs from the mug, placing it back down on the table and leaning back in her chair, stretching her back and arms out. " _Ah_ , I needed that. The last few days have been rough with all these damn meetings."

"Did your schedule get that much worse after I went off duty the other day?" Silver asked, concerned.

"You have no idea," Blaze muttered with a humorless chuckle, rubbing one hand over her face wearily. "There's a bunch of new trade negotiations and an international waters dispute flaring up with Demerca and Imonnis, respectively- and I have to be at every single one of the conferences."

"I heard about those on the news, even though I didn't get a chance to see it going on at court. The media's been all over those topics lately," Silver said.

"What're they telling the public about my handling of the situation?" Blaze asked, a little wary of what she might hear. She indicated the TV in the living room that was still blaring out news reports with a flick of her head. "Is it negative at all?"

Silver grinned. "Hell no. Even they can't say anything bad about you without getting a storm of hate. Everyone loves you, Blaze, you know that."

The princess shook her head. "Not everyone. Those groups that are determined for my brother to succeed Dad instead…"

"Like they even matter. You haven't given them any ammunition, and they can't just make up bullshit stories about you without getting discredited." Silver snorted with amusement then. "Seriously, you should have heard them talking about your _shoes_. They're down to attacking your fashion; there's nothing to fear from there anymore."

Blaze laughed softly upon hearing that. "Sometimes I think you downplay this stuff just to make me feel better."

"Of course not!" Silver exclaimed, mockingly acting offended. "I've only ever been completely honest with you, princess… as long as the truth doesn't get me in trouble with you. If that's the case, then I'll just blatantly lie."

That got another, louder laugh out of Blaze, and Silver snickered as well, enjoying the fact that they were finally talking like this again. He finished off his own coffee as Blaze's laughter eventually subsided and asked, "So, are those negotiations going downhill?"

"Actually, no, there's a decent amount of headway being made. Dad's settling things with a few of their top nobles, but he left the job of making sure their merchants honor our economic laws to me." Blaze shook her head in aggravation. "The selfish bastards can't think past their profits, and they're holding up the negotiations. _That's_ what's going poorly, and it's been getting on my nerves."

"Sounds dreadful," Silver said. "Anything I can do to get those troubles _off_ your nerves besides making more coffee?"

Blaze smiled in tired amusement. "As a matter of fact, there is," she murmured, leaning over towards him. "Come here."

Their lips tenderly met as Silver leaned forward as well, reaching one hand up to gently caress Blaze's cheek. The kiss lasted a long while, Silver enjoying the taste of her lipstick until Blaze eventually broke away and let out a long breath, her gold eyes glittering with emotion.

"Oh, I missed you," the cat murmured softly. "I'm sorry about the last few weeks. I know it's been a while, but things… things have just been out of control."

Silver looked at her with a touch of pity. "Why didn't you let on that your work at court was getting to you? You know I'll help you however I can if you just ask; extra work for me is worth it if we can keep seeing each other."

"I didn't mean the business at court, really," Blaze stated. "That, I can handle. There's a different issue that's kept me away these past weeks, but it's not something you should concern yourself with. It doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Oh, it doesn't?" Silver asked quickly, trying to hide the doubt in his voice. "And here I was thinking I had done something to make you decide to end things between us."

Blaze scoffed at his words. "Silver, what could you possibly have done that you think I would consider breaking up with you over?"

"I mean… I thought maybe you decided I wasn't being cautious enough about our relationship anymore, or… well…"

The cat looked at him in curiosity, noting the sudden sheepishness of his tone. "Or what?"

"Or… if I wasn't… good enough. You know…" Silver swallowed in embarrassment. "In bed. I wondered if you didn't want me anymore because you'd decided that I was no good…"

Blaze shook her head and exhaled in exasperation, the frustrated look on her face shutting Silver up. "Come on, Silver, you're smarter than that. You really think I wouldn't want you just because I didn't like sleeping with you? After we've been together this long?" She gently shoved his shoulder with a reproachful grimace on her face. "Please, bad sex could _never_ ruin a relationship like ours."

Silver sank down in his chair after a moment, chastised. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, I just didn't know what to think. All these crazy ideas kept popping up in my head, and…" The hedgehog's eyes narrowed in realization as he caught on to something Blaze had said. "Wait, bad sex? So I _was_ doing something wrong in bed?"

Blaze looked away quickly before donning a neutral expression. "I didn't say that. You do just fine…"

"Blaze," Silver cut her off in a flat tone, not having any of it. "Don't even try. I know I'm still liable to make mistakes. Please, tell me; what am I screwing up? What needs to change?"

"Silver…" Blaze started to say, before letting out a huff in surrender and looking down at the table, twirling her empty coffee mug in a circle on the wooden surface. "It doesn't have anything to do with my aloofness these past few weeks, I promise you. Just… you could try to, I don't know, take a little initiative sometimes."

"Initiative…?" Silver muttered softly, confused but determined to know all the same. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was always… starting things off. Deciding how we'll do it. And nearly _everything_ we tried involved me being in control. You just need to understand that you taking charge isn't necessarily a bad thing. That's all." She waved a hand in dismissal. "It's not that important."

While he wanted to press the issue, Silver knew better than to try and force Blaze into speaking about subjects she didn't want to discuss. Those conversations never ended well for whoever she was being questioned by. "So what is this other issue you've been dealing with then?" he asked, changing the subject. "Why's it affected you like this?"

The cat looked him in the eye, a bit of a plea appearing in her expression. "About these past few weeks… look, I know you want to hear why I've been distant, and I promise I'll tell you soon. Can we just wait a little while though? At least for tonight?" She reached across the table, taking Silver's hands in her own. "It's complicated and I don't want to deal with it right now. I just want to enjoy being with you again."

Silver met her gaze, her golden eyes piercing him like they always did, and he nodded in response. "Blaze… I trust you. If it has to wait, it can wait." He squeezed her hands gently, feeling her soothing warmth between his fingers. "All the same, I missed you. Terribly."

"I know," Blaze muttered. "I missed you too."

They sat there for long moment, simply relishing each other's presence and the feeling of the other's hands in theirs, before the cat finally muttered, "I didn't fully consider what my staying away would mean for you, Silver. I can't tell you how sorry I am…"

"No," Silver firmly stated. "Don't be sorry. You are the future ruler and you do whatever you need to, alright? No matter what. What I want should _not_ factor in to it, and I don't need to know about whatever's going on if you don't want me to."

She looked at him then, a measure of reproach in her eyes. "Come on, don't say that. You really think I'm going to ignore the wants and needs of the most important person in the world to me?"

Silver looked away in embarrassment, actually blushing a little, prompting Blaze to ask, "What's that look for?"

"I still can't believe you call me that sometimes," Silver muttered. "'Most important person in the world.' It's surreal." A shy grin appeared on his face after a second as he looked her in the eye again. 'But it's also pretty awesome."

After a second, a tender smile appeared on Blaze's face. "It's the truth, guardsman. Get used to it." She leaned in for another kiss, pushing her lips against Silver's and slowly letting her tongue out from behind her teeth to chase his own. The kiss grew more passionate as their lips harmoniously danced together before Blaze rose out of her chair and moved onto Silver's lap, wrapping her arms tightly around him and continuing to mash her lips against his.

Silver held her against him and responded with equal passion, deepening the kiss and stroking her back before slowly grabbing her hair tie and pulling it off, letting her long purple locks fall down around her head so he could run his fingers through her hair. He lost himself in her embrace, closing his eyes and just letting his lips and tongue and hands convey what he felt for her.

This time, when they finally broke apart, the two of them were breathing heavily, their faces flushed with heat. Silver's heart was beating quickly, and he felt slightly light-headed as Blaze leaned her forehead against his, her eyes closed as she let out a shuddering breath.

"Silver…" she whispered, "…let's go to bed."

That caught Silver off guard. The hedgehog didn't really know what to say; they'd never moved this quickly during the past few times that they'd slept together. In his hesitation, he awkwardly asked, "Um, the pizza…?"

"Oh, hang the pizza," Blaze muttered. "I'm don't want dinner. It's been three weeks, Silver; I want _you_. _Now_."

"Are you sure you're not just tired, or… stressed, or something?" Silver asked warily. "Blaze… this is really forward of you. Like, _extremely_ forward _._ Isn't this too soon…?"

"No, it's not. Silver…" The sigh that escaped her then was one of barely restrained impatience, making the hedgehog curse himself inwardly; he hated nothing more than testing her like this, but the sudden shift in the mood had unnerved him. "…please. I want this; you want this, too, I know you do." She brushed his cheek with one hand, her golden eyes pinning him in place with the intensity of her gaze. "Let's not allow what we started five weeks ago to grind to a halt."

Silver stared at her for a moment before nodding and slowly standing up, pulling Blaze to her feet with him. They stood wrapped in each other's arms for a moment, neither of them really wanting to lose the warmth of the other's body on their own, and Silver leaned his forehead against the cat's, the two of them standing together with their eyes closed.

"Silver…" Blaze whispered, still holding him tightly. "I know I sound eager tonight, but… I don't come here now just for this, you know."

The hedgehog pulled her closer, inhaling her sweet aroma again and stroking her back tenderly. "I know. I never thought that to begin with."

With a deep breath, Blaze nodded and stepped back, taking his hand in one of her own. "Come on," she said simply. The cat tugged on Silver's arm, and he followed her away from the table, towards the hallway that led to the bedroom, moving one slow step at a time.

As they walked together, though, Silver caught sight of himself in the mirror again- but this time, with Blaze leading him onwards. Ever since he had met her, Silver had been following Blaze's lead, he realized, because he wasn't ever confident enough in himself. He always feared making a mistake and losing the woman he loved.

But now he knew that _not_ taking action was the mistake- and if Blaze truly wanted him, then he was going to rectify that mistake tonight. No matter what.

Blaze was clearly surprised when Silver suddenly freed himself from her grasp and wrapped his arms around her from behind; she uttered a quick noise of shock before it was cut off by a low groan as she felt Silver's lips graze the back of her neck. The hedgehog knew by now that her weak spot there could get her melting into his arms, and a quick nip with his teeth had Blaze weak at the knees and folding into his embrace, her breath coming out as a needy whine.

Silver trailed kisses across her nape before he gently turned Blaze so that her back was pushed against the wall and he could place his arms on either side of her, effectively trapping the cat. She was taking slow, deep breaths, her golden eyes fixed on him with a mixture of curiosity and excitement.

"Silver… what's gotten into you?" she asked quietly, still breathing hard. "This is very… _forward_ of you, as well."

Silver chuckled softly as she threw his earlier statement back in his face. "You told me to try taking the initiative sometime," he answered in an equally low tone. "Have I ever failed to follow one of your commands, Your Highness?"

"It wasn't supposed to be a command…" The rest of her sentence was cut off as Silver buried his face in the crook of her neck, planting more kisses there and causing to Blaze to groan again and close her eyes, and she slipped her hands under his t-shirt to bury them in the thick patch of fur on his chest. Silver slowly reached up and grabbed the zipper of her short sweater, pulling it down halfway so he could slip the sweater off her shoulders a little, revealing some of the pale fur around her neck and chest, the rest hidden beneath the white silk bra she wore.

"Doesn't matter," Silver muttered slowly as he kissed his way across her collarbone, still keeping her stuck between him and the wall with his arms. "You told me what to do and I'm complying- even if that means _I_ tell _you_ what to do for a little while. And I'll make it good. I promise," he added, halting his progress and raising his head briefly to look at her for confirmation. "Unless you want me to stop?"

Blaze opened her eyes and stopped kneading her fingers through his fur to meet his gaze, seeing in his face an innocent request for permission that she had seen several times before; that hesitant but hopeful nature of his was part of what she loved about him so much. Taking a deep breath, she finally shook her head, muttering, "I told you before, didn't I?" Blaze leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "I want you tonight, Silver. And I want to see where you're going with this," she added with an excited grin, the barest trace of a tempting tone entering her voice.

Her sultry words tore down any final argument Silver had against sleeping with her that night; in a heated rush, he grabbed her in his arms and captured her in a long kiss that the cat responded to with equal vigor, her hands sliding out from under his shirt to crawl up to his neck and pull him more tightly against her. They did not stop until Silver suddenly reached down and grabbed Blaze's rear, lifting her up off the floor and against the wall and making her break off the kiss to laugh in surprise.

"Wow, no powers either," she cracked, grinning wildly even as she blushed like mad and locked her legs behind Silver's back to support herself better. "Someone's been working out more than usual."

"You know it," Silver said, an equal blush on his face and his heart hammering in his chest as he realized there was no turning back; he was going to show Blaze what he could for her do as a lover tonight, and the thought was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating. Briefly, the hedgehog considered just holding her against the wall, pulling her clothes off and taking her right then and there; or maybe he could carry her into the kitchen and lay her out on the table, another fantasy that had passed through his mind before.

 _No,_ Silver firmly thought to himself, surprised at his own conviction. If he was going to do this, it would be done _properly_. Shifting his grip on Blaze and heatedly kissing her again, making the cat smile even as she kissed him back, the hedgehog moved away from the wall and walked down the hallway, taking care not to bump Blaze into the walls as he carried her to the bedroom door bridal-style. Even as they made out, Silver caught sight of the big bed waiting for them in the room, and a flutter of nervousness passed through him before the hedgehog steeled himself.

 _This is what she wants, Silver. Do what you promised and make it good._

With that final thought, Silver crossed the threshold of the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him as he did.

It was going to be a night to remember.

* * *

 _(Alright, so that's the end of the T part of the story. I'm going to post the second chapter ASAP, and be warned- it is rated M for a reason. The story will remain T for now to get exposure, and then the rating will be raised when the second half of the story is added. See you all soon!)  
_


	2. A Future for Us: Part 2

_All right, now we get to the more mature part of this story. Everyone under 18, you should probably get off the train at this station; I really don't need someone reporting my story just because they can't handle a little hot hedgehog-on-cat action. If you do read on, however, enjoy the second half of the best romance story I've written yet._

 _This is the conclusion to_ _A Future for Us._

 _Enjoy!_

A Future for Us: Part 2

When the door slammed shut behind Silver, the sudden drop in background noise as the TV was muffled was a brief distraction, but his attention quickly returned to a more immediate situation; namely, Blaze's tongue chasing his around inside the hedgehog's mouth.

With his eyes closed as he enjoyed the sensation of Blaze's lips on his, Silver forgot to check how close he was to the bed; his knees bumped against the edge, and the hedgehog almost lost his balance as he tried to hold on tight to Blaze. The cat just laughed as he wobbled in place, barely keeping them both from falling, and she leaned her head against his chest and muttered with a small smile, "As fun as this is, how about we settle down before someone gets hurt, hm?"

"Fine," Silver uttered quietly, greatly embarrassed as he lowered Blaze so she was seated on the foot of the bed, somewhat reluctantly letting go of her rear end. "However," the hedgehog began once Blaze was seated, "that's the last command you get to issue tonight, Your Highness."

"Oh really?" Blaze asked, leaning back on her arms and staring with an amused grin at the hedgehog standing in front of her. "So how do we proceed from here, guardsman?"

"Well, we're both a little overdressed here," Silver stated, grabbing his gloves and pulling them off a finger at a time before dropping them on a dresser near the door. "I think we should deal with that first."

"Not a bad idea," Blaze commented, her grin widening as her excitement grew. She grabbed the amethyst bracelet on her wrist with her other hand and opened its clasp, allowing her to slide it off and place it on the bedside table nearby. "Should I go first, or you?"

"You," the hedgehog uttered with a smile, "but I'm going to do the work." He moved forward and leaned against the bed on his forearms, looking Blaze in the eye as he reached forward and grabbed hold of the zipper of her sweater again. He slowly pulled it down the rest of the way, taking his time until the sweater finally opened up to reveal the pale white fur of her belly and the entirety of the bra covering her chest, and Blaze shrugged her arms to let the sleeves loosen on her arms so Silver could pull them off one at a time until the garment finally slid off her back.

Silver tossed the pink sweater aside, heat coursing through him and making him flush as he gazed at his lover's scantily-clad body. Even with just her shirt off, the hedgehog thought she looked heavenly; the pale fur of her torso blended into the darker shade on her arms and legs and neckline almost like a ripple, every inch of it silky and smooth to the touch. Her golden eyes looked away, a light blush on her cheeks as she muttered, "Don't stare so much, Silver…"

The hedgehog shook himself, chastised; she had told him off about that during their previous trysts, but he did not discipline himself enough sometimes. "Sorry," he murmured, "it's a little difficult to not stare at perfection…"

"Oh, shut up!" Blaze scolded him, but she was laughing now, pleased with the compliment despite herself. "We still have more work to do, you know," she continued. "Don't get distracted."

"Of course," Silver quickly agreed. "Next up…" He clambered onto the bed beside Blaze, resting on his knees as he laid his hands on her hips and nuzzled her face, planting one kiss after another on her lips as she giggled. One of his hands slid down to her feet, removing her socks one by one and tossing them away, while the other reached up to the front of her jeans.

"Lift your legs," he whispered, and she did so, raising them up as Silver undid the button of her waistband to loosen the pants so he could slowly pull them down her legs, her pink and red boxers coming into view as he did. One leg slipped free, followed by the other, and then the jeans joined her sweater on the floor as Silver embraced Blaze again, the two of them falling down onto the bed with Silver on top, their lips dancing in synch as he held her against him, relishing the warmth of her bare skin and fur.

"Mmmm…" Blaze moaned into his mouth, closing her eyes and letting her fingers trail across Silver's quills as his hands roamed her body in turn, traveling over her hips and sides until they slipped under her back and reached the base of her spine, making her tingle all over. The hedgehog softly caressed her back all over until his hands found the clasp of her bra, and by instinct he started working to get it undone.

Due to the maddening feeling of his tongue clashing with hers, Blaze didn't notice his efforts at until Silver gave a quiet grunt of annoyance, his efforts to get her bra off thwarted by the difficulty of getting the clasp apart while she lay against the bed. Opening one eye, she saw that Silver's face was furrowed in concentration even as he continued to make out with her, and she felt his hands at work beneath her and realized what he was attempting. Slowly pulling her face away from his, Blaze fixed him with an amused stare as he opened his eyes and looked away, annoyed with himself.

"Sorry, I'm still not great at…" Silver's words were cut off as she lay one finger on his lips, silencing the hedgehog. Blaze lifted herself off the bed, pushing Silver's face into her chest as she reached back and expertly undid the clasp in one motion, sliding the straps off of her shoulders. Silver withdrew his face after leaving a kiss on her torso and watched her push the bra down her arms, dangling it from one finger and smiling before dropping it off the side of the bed.

The sight of her small but firm breasts, nipples already perked up from her excitement and exposure to the air, was something he had sorely missed during the past three weeks, and it made his face burn and his arousal burn even more. Silver did not waste a second in bringing his fingers up to tease one of the firm nubs, letting his other hand travel along her leg and towards her inner thigh. Blaze bit her lip as he brushed against her sensitive skin and gently tweaked her hardened nipple, and she lay back down and pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle the sounds of pleasure he dragged out of her with every little twitch of his fingers. "Well," she whispered breathlessly in between moans, "you were certainly… paying attention… the last few times that we were here."

"I wanted to know," Silver muttered, his voice even quieter than hers. "I wanted to know what you like. What gets those noises out of you." He leaned down and let a breath of warm air out onto her left breast before gently taking her nipple in his lips and suckling softly, and Blaze groaned loudly and held his head against her chest with both hands as he bit softly on one breast, then the other, leaving dark hickeys on both. His tongue drew a wet trail across her cleavage before he kissed his way back up her neck and once again grabbed her lips with his own, chasing her tongue as both of his hands came up to fondle her breasts, squeezing the soft flesh gently with his thumbs brushing over her nipples teasingly.

"Oh, god, Silverrrrr…" Blaze moaned into his mouth, a drawn out sound that was full of heat and love and need. Hearing her say his name in that voice made Silver shudder with emotion, and the waist of his pants was now pitching a large tent as his body heated up with arousal even further, sweat starting to form on his skin. Blaze was starting to sweat as well, and she pressed her burning body against him in desperation, stopping the kiss and muttering, "Silver, please…"

"Hm?" Silver asked jokingly, his blue eyes watching her with intensity. "Please what?"

"Your clothes… off. Please," she whispered. "I don't want to wait any more…"

A mischievous light glimmered in Silver's eyes as an evil thought crossed his mind. "Very well," he replied, "but…" He slowly disentangled himself from her, a noise of displeasure escaping Blaze as the hedgehog slipped out of her grasp. Silver slid off the edge of the bed and stood facing her, watching her chest rise and fall as she stared back at him, breathing heavily.

"You have to stay right there," he said, smirking, "and just watch. No moving until I say."

"Oh, come on…" Blaze whined, shifting in place on the bed. "This is ridiculous. You got to undress me, but I have to wait while you strip down? No fair," she pouted, an exaggerated look of sadness on her face.

"Ah ah ah," Silver chided, "you didn't say taking the initiative meant I had to be fair, did you? I think I'm obligated to tease you a little, considering everything you did to me when we started sleeping together."

Blaze's lips formed an even deeper pout at his words. "Well, yes, but…"

"No buts." His tone was firm, but he could barely contain his laughter at her downtrodden expression. "And no moving. I can make sure you stay still, you know."

That made her huff in a mix of resigned amusement and annoyance, but it was an empty jest; he had never, not once, used his powers on her, and he never would. They had tried some rather raunchy things during a few of their more erotic nights together, but even if Blaze asked him someday to spice their sex life up with his psychokinetic gift, he would refuse. It was a line he wouldn't cross.

However, his current actions seemed to be more than enough to excite Blaze further; she backed up against the headboard of the bed so she could sit up straight to see him better, golden eyes locked on the hedgehog as he slowly shrugged out of his button-up, letting the sleeves slide off his arms as the shirt fell to the floor. He grasped the bottom of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head in one quick motion, dropping it onto the crumpled button-up as he unbuckled his belt and slid it through the loops of his slacks.

Seeing Blaze shift eagerly in place, her eyes on his hands as they worked to get his belt off, Silver smirked and turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to Blaze so he could more easily slide his slacks and underpants off- also blocking her view at the same time. This caused Blaze to give an even greater huff of disappointment, and he knew he was making her impatient as hell; however, she had tortured him like this before to make him more enthusiastic in the long run, and he had ended up enjoying it. Blaze could live for a few more moments before she saw him.

The hedgehog pulled his pants off slowly, trying to get Blaze on edge even more, and he could hear her muttering something under her breath behind him. He caught something like, "…taught him _too_ much…" but he couldn't be sure. He grabbed his socks as well on the way down, and in another moment all his clothes were piled on the floor just off the edge of the bed.

Silver turned his head to look over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the cat's annoyed expression, and he almost burst out laughing at how absurd the situation was; he was actually getting Blaze, who was a relentless tease when she wanted to be, very sexually frustrated. Containing his mirth, he asked over his shoulder, "Had enough yet?"

"What the hell do you think?" Blaze grumbled. "Get over here already."

"Hey," Silver shot back, letting a low, playful growl slip into his tone, "what'd I say about you giving commands tonight?"

"Oh, come on," she whined, immediately regretting her mistake, "I didn't mean it like that…"

"Too bad," the hedgehog cut her off, a predatory grin emerging on his face. He rose from where he sat on the edge of the bed and walked around the side, standing next to Blaze as he continued, "You're going to have to learn your lesson the hard way, it seems."

The cat stared up at him with a concerned look until her gaze flickered downward to between his legs, and then her grin and voice became extremely lewd as she appraised what she saw. "I guess you mean that quite literally, huh?"

Silver blushed at the racy innuendo, but he managed to maintain the bossy attitude he had displayed before. "Alright, princess, now you're in for it," he growled. He jumped back onto the bed and grabbed Blaze in his embrace, pressing her against the pillows, his legs between hers as they started to make out again. Blaze's face was growing red now as both of them explored each other's bodies tenderly with their hands, the feeling of Silver's erection rubbing against her thigh both mortifying and arousing her to no end, and in her lust she blindly reached down between them with one hand even as she continued to kiss Silver back.

When her fingers landed on the tip of his erect manhood, Silver's body reflexively jerked a little, the sensation too much to handle after not having lain with her for three weeks. It felt like a storm was raging inside him, his lust starting to get the better of him after such abstinence. He groaned quietly as Blaze's fingertips brushed against the sensitive flesh, and his grip on the cat got tighter as he let out a long, quivering breath.

"Well, now…" Blaze murmured quietly, enjoying the hedgehog's reaction. "Something tells me you're a little eager to get things moving tonight. As it happens, so am I." Her expression turned wicked with mischief as she continued, "About time we got to the main event, don't you think?"

Silver wanted to agree; he wanted it very badly, and for a moment he almost lost control and submitted to his raging libido. By some miracle, however, he restrained himself, and the hedgehog managed to pant out, "No. Not yet."

The beautiful cat that lay beneath him seemed surprised; her tone was full of a mixture of curiosity and frustration as she asked, "No? Really? You're saying no _now_ of all times?"

Silver shook his head, still trying to calm himself down as his own heartbeat thundered in his chest, and he closed his eyes for a second so the sight of Blaze's near-naked form wouldn't excite him further. Finally collecting his thoughts, he managed to mutter, "I'm not going to let this end so quickly, Blaze." He opened his eyes and fixed her with a firm stare as he confidently stated, "I'm going to keep my word. I'll keep at it until you're begging for me to sate you. And _then_ we'll get to the main event, and not a moment before."

Blaze stared at him with wide eyes, taken aback by the sudden confidence he was exuding- a confidence he had lacked all the times they had slept together before. "Wow, Silver," she whispered in awe, "what's gotten into you tonight?"

"I finally realized how much the thought of losing you scares me. That's what got into me." The hedgehog tenderly cupped her left cheek with one hand, his other on her hip, and Blaze closed her eyes and relished the sensation of Silver caressing her face as he murmured, "So I'm going to show you, right now, just how much I want to hold on to you."

"Is that so?" Blaze muttered with curiosity, opening one eye and letting her golden gaze fall on him. "And just what do you plan… on…" Her voice faded away, replaced with a quiet moan as Silver leaned in to plant a soft kiss on the side of her neck, and Blaze gripped the patch of white fur on the hedgehog's chest tightly as he made his way down her neck and onto her chest, leaving more kisses every few inches. He gave another teasing lick to one of her nipples on his way down, making Blaze bite her lip even harder than before, and Silver squeezed her other breast gently with one hand as he continued down Blaze's front with his lips, slowly shuffling backwards on his knees.

The cat could barely focus, the sensations coursing up and down her body from Silver's administrations driving her wild; she reflexively curled her legs, muffling another groan with her hand as Silver reached her navel and descended still further, arriving at the waistband of her boxers. With a tentative grin, he slid his forefingers between her boxers and her hips, looking up at Blaze with eager eyes as she returned his gaze, and she panted out a few short breaths before finally nodding in encouragement.

With that, Silver tugged on the boxers, pulling them down off her hips and then her legs, taking his time removing the last article of clothing either of them wore. The boxers went sailing off the bed as Silver tossed them over his shoulder without looking, his gaze instead roaming the heavenly figure of the now-nude cat that lay before him, her chest rising and falling in more even breaths now as they looked each other over.

"Oh, Blaze…" Silver whispered, "…you are beautiful."

That made Blaze blush fiercely, her confident exterior cracking under the torrent of emotions she was feeling that night. "You and your compliments…" she muttered, trying to not show her embarrassment. "I'm surprised you're still talking, hedgehog. I thought you were saying something about showing me how much you want to keep me?"

That made Silver chuckle; he really had gotten her impatient, it seemed. "Yes, I was," he whispered. His next words were absolutely mortifying, but he managed to get them out despite the heated blush that suffused his face. "Spread them."

Blaze was a little embarrassed as well, but she did as he asked and let her legs drift apart. Silver leaned down to kiss her stomach softly one last time before he slowly licked two of his fingers and slid them down her side, onto her thigh, and then inward towards her core. When his fingers started tracing a path around her outer folds, Blaze threw her head back into the pillows, gasping up at the ceiling as Silver brushed his fingertips ever so lightly over the large bead of flesh just inside her nether regions. To be feeling pleasure like this again, after being away from Silver for too damn long, felt absolutely heavenly to Blaze, and she quietly moaned, "Please…", desperate for him to continue.

With one last glance at the beautiful cat splayed out on the sheets before him, Silver's gaze turned to the smooth pink flesh of her folds as he inhaled the sweet aroma emanating from her core. The hedgehog let out a long, hot breath of air against her insides that had Blaze quivering in excitement as he slowly let his tongue emerge to lick her outer edges. He had only done this once before, with encouragement from Blaze during the last time they had slept together, but he had done well for his first time giving oral pleasure, and Silver had not had the conviction that filled him tonight back then. He pushed his tongue further into her, and a brief but high cry escaped Blaze as his tongue rubbed against her deepest regions before sliding up and back to massage her clit in a slow, teasing stroke.

One single thought passed through Silver's mind as he tasted her. _God, it's been too long._

And then he was eating her out like a starving man, his hands gripping her thighs and holding them apart as Blaze writhed and buried one of her hands in his quills, instinctively holding him against her even as she held her other hand over her mouth to muffle the sharp cries of pleasure that continued to escape her. Silver could feel her sweet, slick liquids on his muzzle, the taste of her strong on his tongue, and he continued to lap at her inner regions and stimulate her clit with slow, loving strokes. The hedgehog relished the flavor of his lover and the satisfying knowledge that this experience was _his_ to savor, the privilege of pleasuring Blaze as no one else ever would _his_ to enjoy. Silver barely stopped for air as he maintained a seemingly endless oral assault upon her sopping core.

Blaze could only writhe wildly where she lay, her legs shaking in Silver's grip and her own hands pushing Silver into her, instinctively holding the hedgehog's face against her nether regions in a desperate attempt to keep the cascade of pleasure he was lavishing upon her from stopping. Not that Silver had any intention of halting, it seemed; the sensual storm continued to ravish every fiber of Blaze's being until she could no longer tell how long he had been orally sating her, the passage of time lost to the cat as her whole world was reduced to indescribable pleasure.

Two of his fingers came up again to rub her clit once more, now lubricated by the mess of fluids his administrations churned up within Blaze, and the sensation of his digits massaging her clit even as his tongue continued its incessant rampage inside her proved too much. Silver's plunging efforts with his fingers caught her clit on every stroke even as he continued to lap away at the slick juices filling her insides, until the cat could feel herself building to the breaking point. She was forced to let go of Silver's head and clutch at the bed sheets with an iron grip as her legs shuddered fiercely, her insides feeling like they were clenching and undulating and rocking her entire body as a mighty orgasm began to blast through her.

Silver felt her juices splash against his muzzle as she came, and he withdrew his face so he could watch her arch her back and groan aloud through her hand at the mind-numbing sensations. His fingers remained, however, still ceaselessly rubbing her clitoris to keep her orgasm fueled, and Blaze's groan turned into another, louder cry as she bucked again, her climax not quite finished yet. It took many more seconds for Blaze to finally stop shuddering and lay still, her breath harsh and ragged as she recovered from her thunderous finish. The bed sheets between her legs were dark with soaking liquid, as was the fur around Silver's muzzle; the hedgehog withdrew his fingers from Blaze's core and unconsciously licked them and his lips, still savoring the taste of her as he waited for his lover to be able to speak again.

Blaze felt like her head was reeling and she was short of breath, but she still lifted her gaze when Silver started crawling back up the bed until his body was even with hers once more. They lay side by side, staring at each other in silence until Blaze's breathing resumed a more normal pace and she reached out to lay one of her hands on his face. The hedgehog took her hand in his own and held it against him, turning his head slightly so he could kiss her palm softly. Blaze could feel the dampness of his muzzle from the oral wonders he had performed, and the thought of what he had just done to her made the cat feel hot and lustful and giddy all over, and she blushed as she murmured, "Oh, _Silver_ … I love you so much…"

Her blissful tone made Silver grin with delight at his success in pleasuring her, and he slid over and wrapped his arms around the cat, pulling her against him once more so their lips could meet in a slow, sensuous dance unlike their frenzied and passionate making out from earlier. The hedgehog's face was a bit of a mess after he had orally pleasured Blaze, but that didn't bother her one bit; the cat took his head in both of her hands and kissed him one more time before grinning lewdly and letting her own tongue out to slowly lick some of the slickness off of his fur.

Her actions made the hedgehog tremble with excitement and lust. "Dammit, you are such a temptress…" he muttered, making Blaze giggle even as she leaned in to kiss him again. Silver responded in kind, gripping her rear end tightly as his lips searched hungrily for more. It wasn't long before Blaze could feel his erection pressing against her leg once again, but instead of mortifying her it now only sent a lustful thrill throughout her entire being.

When her right hand slid between them to grasp at his hardened member once more, trying to guide him towards her nether regions, Silver grabbed her hand and stopped her before she could reach her goal. It made the cat glare at him in frustration, but he cut her off before she could speak. "No," he said firmly. "I want you this way."

"What way-" Blaze started to ask, her words a little slurred, but then she yelped as Silver hugged her tight and pulled her on top of him, the cat's back against his chest and his breath hot on the back of her neck. His teeth found the weak spot on her nape once more, and she instantly melted on top of the hedgehog with a long, low moan, her legs going limp and one of her hands reaching desperately behind her to grasp for something, anything to hold onto. Silver caught her hand in his own and squeezed it tightly, his other arm still wrapped around the cat possessively as he kissed every inch of her neck and collarbone, making Blaze groan quietly and squirm on top of him.

Still running his lips all across her neck, Silver reached down with the hand that held Blaze against him and slowly traced a path down her belly, sliding his fingers through her silky fur with a soft touch that sent shivers through the cat. He could feel the sweat running on the heated surface of her skin; his own body temperature was rising in unison with his arousal, and the air already smelled faintly of sweat and the scent of sex. The cat bit her lip yet again as Silver's fingers came dangerously close to her outer folds, teasingly brushing through the still-wet fur around her crotch, and the hedgehog repositioned himself so that his manhood was right below her core, where he might guide himself into her.

However, with the cat laying on top of him and neither of them very willing to move at the moment, Silver found himself unable to properly position his shaft so he could thrust into her, and Blaze snapped out of her lust-filled trance when the expected feeling of him entering her never arrived and looked down to see Silver's hips shifting in vain as he tried to get into a better position. Sighing, she slowly pulled her hand out of Silver's, ignoring his sudden noise of protest as his hands fell at his sides when she sat up and leaned forward, sitting on her knees with her waist almost directly above his.

Silver watched the cat as she slowly took his member in her hand, and although he groaned through his teeth at the incredible sensation, he managed to meet Blaze's eyes as she turned her head and looked back over her shoulder at him with a husky gaze, an eyebrow raised as she silently asked if this was how he wanted to continue.

After a moment, Silver finally nodded, too excited and eager to speak, and with that Blaze lowered herself down so that the tip of his manhood pressed against her outer folds. Just that first instance of slick, heated contact had both of the lovers trembling in anticipation and lust, but Blaze did not pause; she spread her legs to either side and slowly descended the rest of the way, inch after soft, squeezing inch of her warm insides enveloping Silver's member until her threw his head back against the pillows, growling at the utterly unbelievable pleasure as he was hilted fully within her.

"Ohhhh..." The small sound escaped Blaze as she leaned forward, supporting herself on shaking arms as she tried to focus, the sensation of him filling her to what felt like near bursting overcoming her and stealing all her breath away. It felt so _natural_ , the way he fit inside her like they were made for each other, a feeling like nothing else Blaze could ever imagine.. They both remained still on the bed, joined as one in the most intimate manner possible, Blaze trembling slightly and Silver taking a deep breath as he tried to resist thrusting into her like a hormonal adolescent.

And then, Blaze began to move.

Slowly, elegantly, her back arched as the cat lifted herself a little, her inner walls sliding against Silver's hardened shaft as she rose up before slowly settling back down again, dragging the movement out so they could both relish every second of the passionate act. The breath Silver had just taken escaped him in a shuddering rush as Blaze's warm, squeezing loins enveloped him again, and his hands found her hips as she moved once more. Blaze rocked forward a little as she moved up and down again, setting a slow but constant pace that sent pleasure surging throughout every fiber of her being as she gracefully swayed on top of Silver's waist, firmly burying his member within her with each movement.

Silver still held the cat's hips in a firm grip, grasping her like she was his anchor against the surging waves of thought-dissolving pleasure that churned within him. If there was a heaven, it couldn't any better than this- watching his beautiful lover gyrate on top of him, her graceful movements almost like a dance as she slid her slick insides against his hardened erection, the small, gasping moans she emitted echoing in his ears. Perhaps it was due to the length of time that had passed since they had last been together like this, or just that Silver had not truly appreciated what he had been blessed with where Blaze was concerned, but what the cat was currently making him feel was better than anything he had ever experienced in his life- far better than any one of their previous trysts.

"Good God, Blaze…" Silver gasped, barely able to draw a proper breath due to the overwhelming sensations. The tight heat made every second a struggle against his impending orgasm, but he could not, would not let himself climax so soon. Not while Blaze still rode on top of him, working towards her own orgasm, and-

His mind snapped out of the pleasure-induced haze as he focused on that thought, briefly managing to focus on something other than the overwhelming feeling of Blaze's insides squeezing him like she was trying to milk the hedgehog dry. Here he was, lying back and letting Blaze do all the work to pleasure them both, when he had promised to take the lead and do everything he could to make it good for her. Silver felt ashamed and determined all at once, his desire to prove himself to the princess and show her what kind of man he could be for her suddenly overriding every other feeling- even that of the intercourse he and Blaze were sharing.

For the second time that night, Blaze found herself caught off guard by Silver's arms as they wrapped around her from behind, the hedgehog sitting up quickly from where he lay. Before the cat could react, his mouth was once more moving across the back of her neck even as his left hand slid down her stomach towards her clitoris, and then Blaze was going limp with a loud cry, her entire body erupting in a surge of heated bliss as the hedgehog's teeth and fingers found their marks. So great was her pleasure that she barely even noticed as Silver shifted behind her, moving his legs behind him and sitting up on his knees so that they both knelt on the bed, torsos flush against one another, the hedgehog's manhood still buried within her and his waist supporting her body.

What she did notice was that Silver now began to move his hips, one slow thrust following another as the hedgehog started pushing into her at his own pace- a pace faster than Blaze's, filled not with a desperation for release but with an urgency to please the cat as much as he possibly could. To that end, Silver took his fingers that had been toying with her clit and spread her labia apart, allowing him to fit into her more easily while his other arm wrapped around Blaze's chest, cupping one breast and holding her against him even as the cat rocked up and down in time with his lustful thrusts.

Blaze felt like she was slowly losing her mind, blissful pleasure arcing through her body like bolts of lightning each time the hedgehog speared her with his member, burying himself deep inside her core before withdrawing for another thrust. The lewd sounds of flesh ramming against flesh grew louder as Silver increased the rhythm of his motions, still holding the cat's moistened folds apart to allow his shaft to slide through her slick insides more easily. One free finger maintained a constant assault on her clitoris, and his administrations were setting her nether regions on fire to the point that she could no longer keep her voice down at all. Great cries of pleasure escaped Blaze over and over again as her lover plunged himself into her unceasingly. One of her hands gripped the sweat-soaked bed sheets, and the other reached back to slide her fingers between Silver's quills and hold his face against her neck, and the dark bedroom echoed with the cat's loud cries as their lovemaking grew ever more passionate.

For his part, Silver allowed her to press his head against hers; that way, he could still work on her neck with his lips and teeth while giving Blaze something to hold onto as her world got rocked. She was not the only one losing herself in pleasure, though- Silver found this new position they were trying to be absolutely thrilling, exotic even. This way, he could hold her warm body tightly against him, stroke her all over from her face to her breasts to her legs, push into her at whatever pace the two of them wanted to go at, all at once without leaving Blaze unstimulated for even a second. He poured all of his passion into his actions, working over every inch of his lover's body with his fingers and mouth and manhood, allowing raw instinct and emotion to take over.

It was like the rest of the world outside that bedroom no longer existed, everything else insignificant against their love for one another. All of Blaze's concerns and troubles were forgotten, any coherent thought impossible as she ground her hips against Silver's, pushing herself down onto his member so he was buried as far within her as possible with each thrust, making the hedgehog groan even as Blaze cried out again and again when his fingers toyed with her clitoris. Her whole reality was Silver; his warm breath on her neck, his manhood stretching her insides, his hands dancing along her breasts and her clit, and his soft murmur of "I love you" in her ear were all that mattered to the princess as she moved in unison with Silver, their rutting reaching a fever pitch with both of their climaxes now drawing very near.

Silver felt the end coming, the pressure building at the center of his being, but he was determined to ensure that Blaze reached it first; he wanted to feel her body shake in his arms, hear the unrestrained cry she always tried to muffle against his chest before he allowed himself to feel that same great pleasure. His fingers dug ever more ferociously at the cat's clitoris while he still pushed his member deep into her with quickened haste, and the hedgehog latched onto the back of her neck with his teeth, sucking hard at the tender skin before taking his free hand off of her chest and cupping her chin with it, turning her face towards his for one more long, sweet kiss.

It was all too much for Blaze to process- the heated love bite, the raging, unceasing assault on her soaked core, his lips clashing with hers- and her body jerked wildly on top of his waist as a second, more powerful climax suddenly began, sending quivers throughout Blaze's body. It was heavenly, it was glorious, but she did not move her face away from Silver's; she kept her lips pressed against his and let him drink in a loud, long cry from the depths of her soul as one of the best orgasms she had ever experienced rushed through her in a torrent of heat and passion. Her inner walls squeezed around Silver's manhood, a pulsing heat that only grew more intense as Blaze's warm juices pooled around his shaft and on the bed between them. The feeling set Silver off as well; he could not hope to resist the overwhelming sensation of the cat contracting so tightly around his member, and he buried his mouth against her shoulder to muffle his own yell as he finished inside of Blaze, his legs shaking beneath hers as his own raging orgasm overruled any other thought for a long while.

Eventually, their climaxes both burned out, leaving the two lovers panting for breath, Silver's arms still wrapped tightly around Blaze. Neither of them could do anything but tremble against one another, the sheer intensity of what they had just experienced a lot to take in after three weeks of separation. Silver kept his head pressed against the side of Blaze's neck, his eyes closed as he came down off the orgasm-induced high, his breath hot as he exhaled against the cat's skin. Blaze could feel a small trickle of his seed flowing out of her, but she didn't mind in the least; she used her own protection so she could give Silver this one great gift- the permission to finish inside her like a true lover.

When her own breathing had finally slowed down, Blaze slowly lifted her hips a little, a subtle message to Silver that the hedgehog took note of. He loosened his tight grip on the cat, allowing her to lift herself off of Silver's waist, and his softening member slid out of her with a quiet, erotic sound as Blaze turned herself around and wrapped her own arms around him. There were no words between them, but none were needed; her lips landed on his in a slow, loving embrace as the hedgehog lay back down on the bed, bringing Blaze with him. They kissed in silence, both of them too emotional to speak right away, and it was a long time before Blaze finally broke off the kiss and raised her head, gazing down tenderly at the hedgehog she lay on.

"Silver the Hedgehog…" she murmured, leaning down and whispering the words into his ear, "as your princess and future ruler, I am commanding you to make every night together from now on as good as tonight was." A wry grin stretched across her face as she spoke, and Silver laughed out loud at the words even as a blush bloomed on his face. The hedgehog was satisfied that he had succeeded in making the night one Blaze would definitely remember.

"As you command, Your Highness," he answered with an exaggerated swagger to his tone, making Blaze chuckle as well before she lay her head down under his chin with a smile, snuggling tightly against the hedgehog. Shifting himself beneath the cat, Silver managed to free the bed sheets from beneath the two of them, pulling the sheets down and then over their legs so that Blaze had him below her and a pair of blankets on top, keeping her nice and warm. Blaze's smile widened at the feeling and she ran a hand across Silver's chest, sliding her fingers through his thick fur there and purring contentedly.

Silver lay back and relaxed, relishing the feeling of her purrs vibrating through his body and her fingers running across his fur. They lay together in warmth and comfort for an indeterminable period, and Blaze's eyes had started getting heavy with weariness when Silver's voice sounded in her ear again. "Blaze, whatever happened these past few weeks… is it going to happen again sometime?" His hands ran along her back and shoulders, massaging them and making the cat relax, but she still stayed attentive, hearing the nervousness that entered Silver's tone. "I realize you don't want to discuss the actual problem, but I just… I just want to know if we'll have to stay apart for a while again."

Blaze sighed and turned her golden gaze on the hedgehog who watched her with trepidation in his eyes. She found herself unable to keep anything from him now, as tired as she was of all the lies and deceit their relationship required. In light of the fact that he had just driven her senseless with pleasure even after she had left him in agonizing silence for so long, it seemed inconsiderate to not let Silver know what was going on.

Ridding herself of her earlier desire to avoid discussing her worries, Blaze took a deep breath and muttered in a low voice, "My father might know about us, Silver."

The hedgehog almost bolted upright in shock before he remembered that his lover was laying right on top of him. Gently, Silver removed both of his arms from Blaze's back and propped himself upright on his elbows, watching Blaze with wide eyes as she slid off of him and rolled onto her side, lying next to him and solemnly returning his stare. "That's why I stayed away the last few weeks," she continued. "I was trying to divert suspicion."

"What… how…" Silver could only stammer as his mind reeled with what she had said. "But we've been so careful! How could he-?"

"Silver," she curtly said, cutting him off. "I don't think it's all that hard to see the difference in how we treat each other, even at court. And we… we _smell_ of each other now, from all our time together. Despite all our precautions…" she shrugged nonchalantly, although concern had her stomach in a tight knot, "…the clues are there for people observant enough to see them."

"Did King Beric actually mention me by name?" Silver asked hurriedly, wondering if everything was coming to an end. "Or does he just suspect that something's up?"

"He only suspects. He invited me to dinner the day after you and I last got together, and started asking me a few questions- mostly about my trips through the country, whether I was learning a lot during my time out there, that sort of thing. I could tell what he was after, though- he kept asking about specific trips and dates, especially the day before, trying to find out if I'd really been where I said I was." She shook her head in annoyance. "Someone must have told him their suspicions about us. There can't be any proof, though, or my father would have openly accused me."

Silver frowned. "So he doesn't know anything for certain."

"Yes, but… Silver, I panicked. I cut myself off from you and just buried myself in work because I was too scared of being found out." Blaze's words were rushed, an explanation and a desperate apology all getting rolled into one as she continued, "I tried not to give my father any more reason to suspect anything, but I think shutting myself away did more harm than good and now I'll probably be under close watch and-"

"Hey, hey, come on," Silver cut her rambling off with a murmur, taking the cat in his arms again and hugging her tightly. "You did what you thought was best for us. That's exactly what you should have done, and I'd never be against it." He did his best to comfort her with his embrace, but the hedgehog's mind was racing. If they were truly under suspicion, it might only be a matter of time before the secret got out.

They obviously couldn't continue meeting like this anymore- even Silver could see that now- but they couldn't just go and admit to King Beric that they'd been sleeping together either. That would be tantamount to throwing every royal doctrine and societal standard in his face, and while neither Silver nor Blaze gave a damn about what most people might think of them, the hedgehog was not about to earn his lover the wrath of the king himself- not to mention the terrible fate that might befall Silver. That left their options few and far between, and for a moment, Silver could not begin to think of a solution to the dilemma.

Blaze's hastened breath was warm against his chest, and her eyes were closed in quiet anguish- Silver could see that the cat was just as lost as he was about what to do. That, more than anything, bothered Silver like an unscratchable itch. Blaze _always_ knew what to do in a given situation, no matter what, and seeing her at a loss for once because of him hurt the hedgehog badly- very badly. His mind whirled in a desperate attempt to find a solution, and in his desperation a crazy, unbelievable, absolutely _perfect_ idea sprang to life. The one and only option they had left.

"Blaze?" the hedgehog asked quietly.

"Yes?" came Blaze's whispered reply.

"Marry me."

For a long moment, there was total silence, so complete that Silver could clearly hear both of their hearts beating in near-unison, and then Blaze raised her head from his chest, her golden eyes gazing upon him with a look of great surprise. Whatever she had been expecting to hear, it clearly hadn't been that. "What did you just say?"

"Marry me." The repeated words were empty of hesitation or doubt; only steel filled the hedgehog's tone as he spoke. "I won't let us be torn apart, but I won't let our lives be ruined for staying together either." He took her hands in his own as they lay together, and the fire in his eyes as he met Blaze's gaze surprised the cat greatly. Silver continued, "I love you too damn much to lose you, Blaze. If you agree to marry me, there's nothing anyone can do about us being together."

As she considered that, Blaze realized he was right; as the throne's heir, there was no legal doctrine prohibiting her from marrying someone of her own choosing, and the marriage couldn't be annulled even by the king himself. The political backlash that would ensue over her marrying for love rather than for an alliance with another nation, however, was something she didn't want to think about. What she _did_ wonder about was just how long this idea had been in Silver's head. "Since when were you trying to find out whether we're able to get married?" she asked in genuine curiosity.

The hedgehog looked away in embarrassment, mumbling, "The… the thought crossed my mind a while ago. I wasn't actually thinking about proposing to you at the time- not that I didn't _want_ to, obviously," he quickly corrected himself, making Blaze smile a little despite her despair over their plight. "Maybe I was just fantasizing about our future and my curiosity got the better of me, I don't know; the point is, I'm serious about this now, Blaze. We need to get married."

"Silver…" Blaze began cautiously. "I know things are really bad at the moment, but marriage… that's a _huge_ step to take just to get out of this mess we're in. I'm sure there are other ways for us to deal with the problem besides-"

"No, this isn't…" Silver shook his head in frustration, his need to make her understand what this was _truly_ about getting the better of him. "This isn't just about us avoiding persecution, Blaze. I don't want to be the guy you sneak off to meet at night anymore, someone you have to hide from your parents and the world, a person you feel guilty about being with." His arms slipped around Blaze once more, pulling her close to the hedgehog so he could lean his head against hers, and now his eyes met hers with a determined stare.

"I want _this_ from now on," Silver stated, hugging the cat tightly for emphasis. "I want a future for us where you can go out into the world with me at your side, where you can call me your husband and still hold your head up." Blaze was wide-eyed in astonishment at what she was hearing, but Silver wasn't done yet. "Getting to spend the rest of my life with you is all I could ever wish for- if you'll have me. You've always known what's best for us, though, and if you don't think this is a good idea-" the hedgehog swallowed quickly, a hard knot of anxiety forming in his stomach- "just say so, and I'll never bring it up again, I promise."

Blaze found herself unable to form a sentence, the confused flux of emotions that Silver's words had subjected her to rendering her speechless. Trying to speak, she uttered, "I… that's not…" She licked her lips and finally managed to force out, "Silver… how could I _possibly_ say no to this? After all that, you really think I can deny you?"

The hedgehog blanched, certain he'd accidentally guilt-tripped her into agreeing. "Wait, no, I didn't… Blaze, I wasn't trying to make you think you _have_ to marry me. Please don't think that; you need to decide on your own if-"

"Oh, shut up, you fool," she cut him off in exasperation, her amusement at Silver's backtracking letting her finally find her voice. "Of course I'll marry you. You make it sound like a hard decision- like I'd ever think the two of us being together would be a bad thing. Come on, Silver, you're smarter than that."

The hedgehog blinked in surprise, her admonishment putting an end to his rambling; instead of sputtering out something foolish, he simply asked quietly, "So… you truly do want to…?"

"Obviously," Blaze murmured. "Now come here, guardsman." She leaned in for another kiss, taking Silver's face in her hands and pulling him into a sweet embrace that lasted a long while. The hedgehog was somewhat disoriented, trying to process the fact that Blaze had _agreed to marry him_ , and that was very difficult to accomplish while her lips kept capturing his, so Silver decided to stop thinking for a bit and just lose himself in her love.

By the time the kiss was finished, both of the lovers were rather breathless, and Silver could feel the weight of his weariness tempting him to fall asleep. He had no idea how long they had been together that evening- any sense of time had quickly been lost as they made love- but he could see his own tired state reflected in Blaze's eyes, and so he quietly muttered, "Maybe we should get some rest. We've both got places to be tomorrow."

The cat sighed and shifted against Silver, snuggling close up to him so he could hold her ever more tightly. "I suppose you're right. Responsibilities and all that… as well as making sure no one realizes we were here."

"Not for much longer, though." The hedgehog's statement confused Blaze for a moment until he clarified, "There's no reason we can't let your family know about this tomorrow, is there? You know, just get it done right away?" A mixed look of embarrassment and hope spread across his face. "Maybe… we can start thinking about a date for the wedding? Or-"

His enthusiasm, adorable and infectious, made Blaze laugh and blush at the same time, and she gave him one more quick kiss, silencing the hedgehog, before turning back over and closing her eyes. "We'll figure it out in the morning, Silver. Let's go to sleep."

"…do you think we should go for an engagement first?"

"Silver…"

"Right, right," the hedgehog quickly uttered, noting her weary tone. "Going to sleep." He hugged Blaze as she settled her warm body against his own, and his eyes slowly shut as sleep started to cloud his mind.

Before he drifted away, though, Silver whispered one last time into the princess' ear, "I love you."

And Blaze fell asleep with the ghost of a smile on her face.

* * *

 _(Well, that was fun. I did truly enjoy writing this story even more than_ _By Your Side_ _; more heartfelt and personal stories are always easier for me to sit down and just type away on. I'm going to let this story end here, though, because I'm satisfied with what's been done and I have other stories I need to get to work on. Thank you for reading_ _A Future for Us_ _, and I hope you all enjoyed it!)_


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